INDIA BLOG - WEEK 7

Once again I got Delhi belly, but considering I spent the whole day and night in, I didn’t get that bored. If I had an evening in at home with limited internet and no TV I would go out of my mind but here we just end up amusing ourselves.

Namaste ji! Throughout the night there was a terrible storm; the worst so far, thunder and lightning constantly. Typically this fell on the day we had planned for the hot water springs, through the journey the weather cleared up but the roads (if you can call them that) were so dangerous. The journey was one of the most terrifying things since being in India our lives were in someone else’s hands; gradually getting higher and higher until those mountain tips were not so much in the distance anymore! The walk to the hot springs was really strenuous but well worth it when we got there.

WEEK 5

On Friday morning we arrived at the Day Care Centre to discover the Pawana's (the manager of the centre) brother-in-law had died from drink driving; which was devastating for the family as death is, but his wife was expecting any day.

Even still today in India women are regarded as subordinate to men; widowed and abandoned women even resort to suicide because of the way they are treated and regarded in society. In a land where death is ever present the culture taboos self- harming. For women with few choices, death can be the honoured answer.

WEEK 6: My day began with two cups of PG tips, five slices of jam on toast and a fresh mango - this had to be a good day! We then headed to work as normal collecting the kids on route, only to discover today they were clean and fresh, clean hankies, clothes, hair, the lot! Our hygiene talk must have worked which was such a relief.

As there was a wedding in the community, which we later attended; we only had Satchin and the naughty twinnies; who were surprisingly very well behaved! We then took the kids home and delivered Varsha her lunch, to see she was actually resting.

THE LAST WEEK: At the Day Care we has our usual clan back which was good to see, it was so strange to think it was our last week, at times if felt like I had been in India for years but then again it feels like its gone quick too!

WEEK 9: On Friday we went on a community visit to distribute brochures for pregnant women and the parents of the children at the Day Care Centre and to call people to come and see the street play. In every house we are offered chai and welcomed; we went to Tamana’s house to find out that she won’t be returning to Day care whilst we are here as she is visiting family which was really upsetting that we didn’t get a chance to say goodbye.

Everyone in India seems to drive with one hand consistently on the horn and the other up their nose, the horn is used instead of a wing mirror so you can imagine the noise! The rules for driving seems to be that there are none, whole families pile onto a motor bike, round about are alike crossroads darting in which ever way they chose to go. Just about the only thing that stops traffic is the cow, or should I say the sacred cow.
Although, considering it is regarded as holy enough not to become steak it is still treated poorly.

After a weekend of preparing lessons and having group meetings we were fully prepared and eager to teach, which proved successful. Communication is made easier now we know 'chup veho' (quiet) for the little ones.

Finally getting settled both into work and the community made us realise why we were here. The kids at the day care centre were really warming to us and we were getting to know them as individuals allowing us to develop a teaching style. Although the women in the day care centre were more of an issue than the kids as they would talk over our teaching in Hindi and generally disturb the kids.

One of the women also hit a school child directly in front of our toddlers; which in itself was hard to see let alone for the kids! Especially when trying to encourage the kids not to hit each other!

After months of anticipation the day finally arrived. The whole thing just seemed so surreal even saying goodbye. The journey from home to the airplane seemed a long one in itself; unaware of the long journeys we had to come and oblivious to the size of India! I constantly felt nervous and was questioning my self and my decision- to jet half way across the world for 10 weeks with complete strangers who were soon to be my family!

After a long flight we arrived into Delhi and were greeted by IDEX oblivious to the long journey ahead to Agra.